The proper rotation of your body during a golf swing adds distance and straightens the flight path of your ball. Incorrectly turning your hips, shoulders and arms during the swing may cause you to top the ball, slice or hook the ball or receive injuries. Though your swing happens in a matter of seconds, preparing yourself with proper form and using training drills can quickly get you turning your body correctly during a swing.
Features
The turn in your golf swing can be broken down into two phases: the address to backswing and backswing to forward swing. From the point of your address, you begin the rotation by bringing the club back and turning your leading shoulder down toward the ball. Your hips make only a slight rotation away from your target and your head does not turn at all. When you bring the club into the downswing, the slight rotation in your hips is released to begin the motion. Your shoulders and arms follow the motion of your hips and will turn in unison through the moment of impact. Finish with your hips perpendicular to your target.
Expert Insight
A study conducted by Columbia University titled "Assessing Golfer Performance Using Golfmetrics" found that golfers who consistently hit the ball farther and longer did so because they have better swings. By studying more than 40,000 golf shots from a variety of golfer skill levels, the study found that golfers with a consistent swing landed their tee shots between the 250- and 325-yard mark on average, while amateurs with inconsistent swings scattered their shots between 125 and 250 yards.
Function
Golf.com states that by rotating your hips during the golf swing, you help your body maintain the same distance from the golf ball as that during the address. Amateurs tend to lean their hips in toward the ball while swinging, resulting in the club coming out of alignment with the ball. Furthermore, turning your shoulders in line with your hips through the ball helps to square the club face for the moment of impact. This, in conjunction with a proper weight transfer between your feet, helps you to hit the ball straighter and farther.
Considerations
Not all shots are created equal in the world of golf. The shorter the distance you require from a shot, the less rotation you will need in your body to generate that power. Extremely short shots, such as a pitch, chip or putt, require little rotation from your hips and almost no rotation from your arms. These shots are more about controlling the distance of the ball, and thus the power will come mostly from your arms.
Drills
Because your swing happens so fast, repetitively practicing drills at a moderate pace is an effective way to monitor and correct your swing before a round. Stand with a golf bag touching your backside during the address of your shot. As you rotate your hips, keep in contact with the bag throughout. This guarantees that your hips are turning correctly.
To help you get the proper feel for how your body should rotate, you also can perform an elbow drill. Place a club behind your back and hold it in the crux of your elbows. While holding the club, rotate your hips and shoulders through the correct posture of the golf swing. Rotate slowly so you can get a feel for how your body should be aligned during the rotation.
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